Research and Innovation Research and Innovation Nature-based solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction...

Research and Innovation


Nature-based solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction

Eleni MANOLIEuropean Commission

Directorate General for Research and Innovatione-mail: [email protected]

PolicyPolicy Research and Innovation


The challenge

Floods in Copenhagen, Denmark Storm tide in Bremenhaven, Germany 2013-12-06, wikipedia.org



Nature-based solutions – What are they?

• Actions that are inspired by, supported by or copied from nature• With potential to be energy and resource-efficient and resilient to change• With success depending on adapting to local contexts (physical, environmental,

social, cultural, institutional)

• A potentially cost-effective response to major societal challenges faced today which contributes to environmental, economic and social sustainability



City of Arnsberg, Germany

Flooding (2007) by the small streams in the city

• Solution: Re-naturing of rivers and streams

• Co-benefits• Increased biodiversity• Improvement of the city

landscape• Enhanced recreational value

(and revenue from tourism) for the city

• Fast attainment of EU environmental policy objectives

Source: EU FP7 Circle 2 project



Room for the River, the Netherlands

High cost of expanding infrastructure for flood

protection

• Solution: Integrated spatial plan for flood protection (4 million people)

• Restoration of floodplains

• Introduction of green elements

• Co-benefits

• Master landscaping

• Improvement of environmental quality for people and nature

• Increase of recreational facilities© Ruimte voor de Rivier, 2015



Protective forests, Alps

Increased risks & infrastructure damage from landslides & avalanches

• Solution: Targeted afforestation of hillslopes• Benefits for Switzerland only: between €1.5 to 2.5 billion per year• Other co-benefits: Natural capital & landscape enhancement

© Foto Furter, Photograph Parsenn, Switzerland, 1945 © Peter Bebi, Photograph Parsenn, Switzerland, 2007



Are nature-based solutions cost-effective?

Engineering solutions• Strong evidence base• Most effective in reducing the impact of hazards

• Generally, affordability is low and additional benefits are few

Nature-based solutions• Most affordable and with positive additional consequences

• Often not as effective as other options• Evidence base is weak / uncertainty regarding effectiveness & performance is high

Adapted from the Royal Society (2014), Resilience to extreme weather



Diverse & multiple co-benefits that make a difference



Barriers & needs to full deployment

• Limited awareness of multi-functionality – lock-in in the traditional way of ‘doing things’

• Lack of a solid evidence base to compare and combine with traditional, engineering solutions• Timeframes & tipping points for performance• Design standards• Operational and technical guidelines

• Need for tools and standards to “engineer” nature-based solutions• Need for innovative decision-making processes involving co-design

& co-implementation



An EU Research & Innovation agenda for Nature-Based Solutions



Nature-based solutions at the heart of systemic management for DRR

• Objectives• Widening the solutions portfolio beyond

technological innovation and foster social innovation

• Co-designing, co-developing, co-implementing solutions

• Providing systemic, scalable, integrated solutions at landscape & city level

• Creating investment and market opportunities

• Instruments• Horizon 2020 – the EU Framework

Programme for Research and Innovation• Leveraging of other sources of funding



The overall approach for a new EU Research and Innovation policy agenda

R&I

Other policies

Sta

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Proof of concept

Demonstration initiatives – solution testing

Innovative Nature-based solutions

Public and private sector engagement



Research & Innovation can make a difference

• EU R&I policy agenda underway to provide the evidence and arguments for Nature-based solutions

• Establishment of a dialogue platform for diverse stakeholders

• Mapping and networking of existing initiatives on Nature-Based Solutions in Europe and beyond

• Set-up of large scale demonstration projects on the effectiveness, applicability and replicability of Nature-Based Solutions

• Launch and test of new means of collaboration, financing and governance (public private partnerships, innovative financing, business and organisational models, innovative public procurement, social innovation etc.)

• Collaboration within Europe and internationally, through Horizon 2020 – the EU Framework Programme for Research & Innovation



Research and Innovation Research and Innovation

Find out more...

• HORIZON 2020: http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/

• European Research Area http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/index_en.htm

[email protected]@ec.europa.eu

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/ind

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/ind

http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/index_en.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/index_en.htm

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Research and Innovation Research and Innovation Nature-based solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction...

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